Porthole closure



Aug. 25, 1936. w. coNRAN' FORTHOLE CLOSURE- Filed April 18, 1935 INVENTOR W/ ZQZ 9 ATfaju a, IIIl/ y 5 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATE$ PATENT OFFICE {.PORTHOLE CLOSURE John Conran, Great Neck, N. Y. Application A ril-1s, 1935, Serial No. 17,009 6 Claims. (01. 169 -1) My invention relates to; port-holes for pier decks and building floors: and-is. designed mainly for use in fighting fire below decks and floors by projecting hose-nozzles or pipes with rotary dis- .5. tributors; through such port-holes, especially where direct attack cannot be made as in the case of, pier sub-structures, building: cellars, and loaded warehouse fioors.

Heretofore in fighting fires in such locations 1'0 it was necessary to cut holes through decks: and floors for the: insertion of hose-pipes resulting. in serious delay in locating the mostadvantageous points for reaching the fire. with water streams, loss of time in applying streams, hazardto fireto men while performing. the work, and frequent unnecessary damage to flooring in cutting holes.

The object of my invention is to provide a form of port-hole for pier decks and building floors having fire and, heat resisting, closures which may be easily and quickly opened for observation in locating fires under fioors and for affording the most eiiective'point or points for attacking fire under pier decks, in cellars, and on floors difficult of access as in. storage. ware- 2 houses, and the, like, and through which portholes hose-pipes may be quickly brought into action at the most effective points. .A further object is to provide a form of port-hole and closure which may be quickly opened with tools or- 30, dinarily at hand, and effectively andquickly closed again when, necessary, and without. damage to the floor. A further object is to provide a form of. port-hole and closure'which may be employed as a vent hole for permitting. escapeof smoke and gas fromfires in covered or enclosed places to. afford better conditions for observation and attack in fighting fires; in such localities, and: which port-holes may also be employed to serve as drains for flooded floor areas.

4.9 In carrying my invention into effect, I provide port-holes and. closures. at various locations on pier decks and building floors which may be quickly opened for observation of conditions below and quickly .closed when necessary or de- 455 sirable, and through which hose-pipes may be readily inserted and effectively closed again when changing points of attack, and readily restored to normal condition when not in use for fire fighting and without injury or damage to the 50 floors and requiring no repairs after use-, and the closures for such port-holes being oi fire and heat resisting; material, and constructed so as not to interfere with the customary use of the floors.

55 For this purpose I propose to provide openings in decks and floors at numerous points best suited. for observation below and application of water streams and into which openings close fitting linings or bushings are secured having recessed or counter-sunk seats for metal covers, 5 and below these covers within the bushings removable plugs of fire resisting material are retained and arranged for removal by hand or the ordinary tools usually employed about buildings and by fire fighting. companies. 10

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying. drawing, in which. Figure 1 is a plan View representing, a section of a pier deck or building fioor provided with the port-hole and closure, one such hole and closure only being shown for L5 illustration; Figure 2 an enlarged vertical section of same showing the fire and heat resisting plug; Figure 3 a; vertical section showing a modified; form of plug; andFigure 4 a sectional view showing the plug, and part of the cover removed and a hose-pipe. inserted.

Referring to the. drawing, l indicates the deck or floor of a pier or building, and 2 the usual supporting beams. In the deck or floor a circular opening is cut and into this opening a tapering metal; bushing 3. is closely fitted and suitably sealed. This bushing is provided with a recessed flange. 4 seated in a. corresponding recess in the floor; so as, to be flush therewith as shown in Figure 2. The lower or inner end of the bushing is screw threaded as shown at 5 to receive a threaded. collar 6 having a flange l which engages the underside of the floor and thereby securing; the. bushing in position. The recess at the. top of the bushing forms a seat 8 upon which cover 9 rests flush with the fiange 4 and the fioor line. This cover may be formed in one piece, but I prefer to make it in the form of a ring: 9' having a beveled or recessed center l0 into which the small cover'sectionll fits closely 40 and flush with ring 9.. For removing the cover I provide a circumferential groove l2, or a series of'notches; into which any suitable tool, suchas a small. crow-bar or similar tool, may be inserted to lift the cover when removing same. Within the tapering bore of the bushing is inserted a plug having a taper corresponding tothe taper oi the bushing to make a close fit throughout, and which plug is made of fire resisting material t3; such as asbestos in sheet, padr or molded form. This plug may be made entirely of asbestos or likematerial but I prefer to mount the material l3 between metal disks l4 having beveled edges to fit the tapering bore of the bushing, and central holes through which bolt l5 passes, and the whole being firmly clamped together by nut Hi. The thickness of the plug, or the fire resisting material, will in practice be such as to afford a degree of heat resistance equal to, or greater than, the flooring i. This thickness may with my construction be readily altered to meet required conditions by adding or removing layers of material It, or when in block or moulded form by removing a block and substituting a block of the required thickness and bolting the parts together again. By reason of the tapered bore of the bushing and the corresponding taper of the plug, the latter will fit closely within the bushing and reduce the possibility of heat or flame passing around the plug and heating the cover, but to further guard against this I provide a flange I1 within the bore of the bushing and upon which the plug will seat, and by tightening nut l6 and compressing the material l3 so that it will squeeze out slightly beyond the edges of disks M, the plug in addition to being seated on flange II to break the passage between the bushing and plug will also have material 83 fitting snugly within the bushing thus providing a double closing. For the purpose of facilitating removal of the plug, the bolt i5 is provided with an eye, ring or handle 98. To further insure the plug material I3 fitting closely within the bushing, the lower disk I4 may be provided with one or more lugs i9 located to enter corresponding notches in flange l1, and one or more lugs engaging nut E6 to hold it against turning, so that when the plug is in position, bolt l5 may be screwed further into the nut, drawing the disks l4 toward each other and squeezing material 93 outward against the bore of the bushing while the plug is in position.

When it is desired to inspect the space beneath the flooring the cover and plug are removed and then replaced unless it is desired to allow it to remain open as a vent or drain hole. Where a hose-pipe 2| is to be inserted, ring member S of the cover is first replaced without the center piece II and the pipe is inserted through the small opening as shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 3 is shown a modified form of plug wherein the fire resisting material I3 is carried in a plug-shaped basket of perforated sheet metal or wire mesh. As shown in the drawing the basket consists of perforated bottom 22 having a flange 23, a perforated tapering wall 24 of a taper to fit the bore of the bushing, and a perforated top 25 having a flange 26. The bottom part 22 and side wall 24 may be rigidly secured together at the flange 23, as by welding, and the top 25 is drawn down into the side wall by bolt and nut I 5i6 after the basket is filled with material l3. If desired one or all parts 22, 24 and 25 may be imperforate, but in this form of plug I prefer to have all walls perforated. Plates 22 and 25 have central perforations for bolt l5 and the bolt has an eye or handle l8 for inserting and removing the plug from the bushing.

It will be understood that in practice the port-holes will be located at numerous points in the length and breadth of a pier deck or building floor, the number in each direction depending upon the area and the distance streams of water can be thrown by cellar-pipes or rotary distributor nozzles usually employed in extinguishing cellar and pier sub-structure fires. The location of these port-holes will also be governed by obstructions under the decks and floors, such as piling and string-pieces in pier sub-structures; supporting pillars and beams in buildings; and storage spaces in warehouses. It will also be understood that these port-holes will be useful for periodic observation of conditions under pier decks and building floors and for ventilation or drainage, the important point being the provision of an effective fire resisting closure capable of quick opening and closing without the requirement of special tools or mechanism and Without cutting or damage to floors requiring repair, and without obstructing the usual use of the pier deck or floor.

What I claim is:

1. An appliance of the character described having in combination a flanged bushing adapted to seat into a hole in a pier deck or floor and having an internal flange at or near its inner end, a clamping ring for securing said bushing in position, a plug of fire resisting material adapted to be seated on said internal flange comprising disks with a packing of fire resisting material between them, a bolt for securing said disks and packing together, and for expanding said packing against the bore of said bushing when the plug is placed in position, and a cover fitted into a seat in the external upper flange of said bushing.

2. An appliance of the character described having in combination a flanged bushing having a tapering bore adapted to seat in a hole in a pier deck or building floor, a clamping ring for securing said bushing in position, and a tapering plug of fire resisting material for closing the bore of said bushing, said plug being of considerable thickness in the direction of its axis and closely fitting the bore of the bushing throughout its thickness.

3. In an appliance of the character defined in claim 2, a plug comprising a receptacle filled with asbestos.

4. In an appliance of the character defined in claim 2, a plug comprising a receptacle made of perforated sheet metal filled with asbestos.

5. An appliance of the character described having in combination a flanged bushing having a tapering bore adapted to seat in a hole in a pier deck or building floor, a clamping ring for securing said bushing in position, a tapering plug of fire resisting material for closing the bore of said bushing, said plug being of considerable thickness in the direction of its axis and closely fitting the bore of the bushing throughout its thickness, and a cover comprising a ring member having an opening adapted to receive a hose nozzle and a removable closure for said opening seated in said ring member.

6. An appliance of the character described having in combination a flanged bushing having a tapering bore adapted to seat in a hole in a pier deck or building floor, a clamping ring for securing said bushing in position, and a tapering plug of fire resisting material for closing the bore of said bushing, said plug being of considerable thickness in the direction of its axis and closely fitting the bore of the bushing throughout its thickness, and comprising a pair of plates with an intermediate layer of fire resisting material and a bolt for clamping same together and whereby the intermediate layer is compressible to cause lateral expansion thereof.

JOHN W. CONRAN. 

